Socket for electric light bulbs



Feb. 14, 1933. T. w. FITZGERALD SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS Filed May 17, 1930 Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oF-FicE SOCKET ron nrrio'rnrc nre rr songs Application filed May 17,

The invention relates to an improvement in sockets for electric light bulbs, and especially to a feature incidental to the support of the socket. The socket as now made comprises the body of the socket having an eX- terior shell to which is secured a cap, the body of the socket being a part detachable from the cap. The cap is provided with an upstanding annular collar internally threaded, and the cap together with the entire socket and bulb carried by it is supported from any suitable fixture or hanger by a threaded nipple which extends from the fixture or hanger and screws within the collar on the cap and is held rigidly in place so that it cannot turn by a binding screw passed through the side of the collar and engaging the side of the nipple contained within it. Oftentimes a shade or hood or the like is mounted to cover the socket or even the bulb carried by it. The shade is mounted on the cap to lie interposed between the top edge of the cap and a flange on the fixture or hanger from which extends the nipple that fastens into the collar. Thus mounted the shade is held rigidly in place between the flange and the top edge of the collar when the screw is tightened. The difficulty is that with the shade thus held in place enveloping the cap the usual binding nipple for fastening the cap to the screw can no longer be used because the shade prevents access to the screw for driving it. The object of the present invention is to obviate this difficulty and to provide a secure fastening between the collar and the nipple when the shade is used.

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawing, in which Figure 1 shows in cross vertical section an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlargement of a detail thereof to which special reference will later be made.

1 represents the body or shell of the socket into which fits the globe 2. 3 is the cap portion of the socket provided with an internally-threaded upstanding collar 4. 5 is a ring for supporting the socket. For making the connection between the ring and the socket the ring is provided with a threaded nipple 6 which screws into the collar. The

1930. Serial No. 453,220.

ring is also provided with a flange 7 at the base ofthe nipple. -YW1enthering is applied to the collanthfe ,flanger' will, occupyan opposng p i ion wi h relation o h top edg of-the collar fl. InterpOSed between thjeflange a:

and thejfip dgeof the collar and heldrigidly in place when the nipple-isscrewed into thecollar is a shade or hood .8 .which envelops the cap. The parts thus described are simply illustrative of a common type of construction. The nipple is so fastened to the collar as to prevent turning of the nipple after the parts are in place in the following manner Cut on the inside of the collar 4 is a groove 10. The groove extends in a direction substantially parallel with the nipple 6 when fitting within the collar and the inner side of the groove facing the nipple is open onto the threads of the nipple. At its lower end a;

the groove 10 opens into the chamber of the cap. Introduced from the chamber of the cap to fit within the groove 10 and having locking engagement with the nipple is a small screw 11 which is preferably a screw of com- 1 mon type. This screw when introduced into the groove through the open end thereof will engage the threads of the nipple through the open side of the groove, and on turning the screw its threads will turn on the threads of the nipple and the screw will thereby be made to enter the groove and attain a seated position therein lying snugly between the wall of the groove and the threads on the nipple thereby preventing turning of the nipple within the collar in the manner of a key. Inasmuch as the screw 11 fits almost wholly within the groove and only engages the threads of the nipple through the open side of the groove, it can accordingly be applied for locking the nipple in place irrespective of the turned position of the nipple with relation to the collar.

In this way the object of the invention is accomplished and in a manner in which the threads of the nipple become the active agent on which the binding screw may turn and be driven into place, and this simply by cutting a groove in the collar into which the screw may fit to turn upon the threads of the nipple and become seated between the threads on the nipple and the wall of the groove in the collar, thus preventing the nipple from v turning when seated within the collar. 7

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States p An electric socket ofthe type specified with a collar upstanding therefrom, a nipple screw-threaded to fit within the collar,1

and a screw between the collar andithe nipple to prevent the nipple frqmrturning when, seated within the collar, said 'collanhavin'g within it a groove extending substantially parallel with the nipple with side opening onto the threads of thenipple and with end I v 7 opening into the chamber ofthe capwhereby said fscrew. may be introduced through said end opening to turn on the threadsjof the nipple and be driven into place seated between the threads on the nipple and the wall of the groove in thejcollarr THOMAS w. FITZGERALD. 

